Saturday, October 31, 2015

On my way back, I stopped at Buc-ee's because I was starving! Also, I wanted to look for the Mimosas in a can but couldn't find them so I purchased the bottled Hurricanes and bunch of other stuff that totaled almost $70.00. At the last minute, I purchased a brisket sandwich and wished I had two. It was that good!

It didn't take long for the apartment building to disappear. My guess is that it has to do with squatters and taxes. If the building isn't there, no one can go in and live there. Also, the value of the property is devalued. It's just a guess..

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

This time of year gets crazy for me. Usually there is a work trip or two and then throw in a golf tournament that I am the team lead for at work and my time gets consumed. I think I've managed to take a photo everyday although I am fudging on a day or two and using other people's pics to show what the day was like.

I'm interrupting my busy schedule and my Pic Of The Day series to ask you to do one thing. And that one thing, if you live in Houston is to vote and to pay special attention to these three things:

For Mayor of Houston, please for vote for Steve Costello. I have known Steve for several years and he is the best candidate for the job. Even though he has served on the Houston City Council for 6 years, he is not a professional politician, he's an engineer! And with that engineering background and with his experience on City Council, he is the person to keep moving Houston forward.

Next on my list is Ramiro Fonseca. Ramiro is running for Houston ISD Board of Trustees. I don't live in his district so I can vote for him. If you DO live in his district, please vote for him. This Board will be selecting the new superintendent and will help determine the future of our students.

You may recall that in May of 2014, I took a day off from work and spoke to Houston City Council in favor of Houston's Equal Rights Ordinance.

Without going into all of the legal battles, the ordinance is on the ballot and it needs to pass. Houston is not a city of haters BUT if someone is discrminated against, there is no local recourse and they will have to file suit in federal court and how many people have the money for THAT?

Houston Unites just released a new ad that shows who the ordinance protects. And again, please VOTE in favor of Prop. 1.

Sunday, October 18, 2015

There's a new shopping center that is coming to life, River Oaks District. There are some high-end retailers coming in and one of them is Cartier.

I had the privilege of attending a small soiree and fell in love with the store. I couldn't afford anything but I did enjoy being dazzled by the baubles. And...the champagne is some of the best I've ever tasted. #justsayin'

I was out walking The Calvinator and we took a different route. There was a huge puddle of water on Richmond Avenue and the sun just happened to be at the correct angle to catch its reflection in the street.

The Humphreys School of Musical Theatre presented RENT. This was the original version of the show and not the high school version.

I was amazed at the cast. Some of the members really embraced their characters. Part of their character development included hearing people from Legacy Community Health discuss the work they do with HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and education.

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It has been 14 years since I've seen the stage production. If I find an email that I sent to TUTS, I'll update this post. It explains my emotional attachment to show and was written while I was still reeling from the production.

When The Calvinator and I moved into the Upper Kirby area of Houston, I noticed that the neighborhood was going through a transformation...and it continues.

There was a 20+ unit apartment complex that was probably built in the 1970s that has been demolished. The residents had to be out by July 31 and the building has come down. We'll have to see what happens next.
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Tuesday, October 6, 2015

It was the annual luncheon for Legacy Community Health. This luncheon started in 2003 and I've been to all of them except one. Yes, I was at the one that had Ivana Trump as a no-show. Well, she made it all the way to the airport in Houston and then turned around and went home. Shelby Hodge said it best in column with the headline, "Shame. Shame. Shame." And with or without a celebrity, we've always raised money for a good cause.

This year, Lucinda Loya and Monsour Taghdisi were the co-chairs, Javier Loya was the guest speaker, Dominique Sachse was the emcess and H-E-B was the honoree. This great formula equals success.

Monday, October 5, 2015

September 15 kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month for the City of Houston. We gathered in the rotunda at City Hall for the press conference. Mariachis. Pan dulce. Tacos. And outstanding citizens being recognized for their achievements.

I wondered why the month starts on the 15th? It seems that several Central American countries declared their independence from Spain on September 15 followed by Mexico on September 16 followed by Chile(?) on the 18th. Who knew?

Saturday, October 3, 2015

The commemoration of my 54th Birthday continued at the office. Unexpectedly, I was the recipient of some warm cookies from Tiff Treats. It came along with some milk and some cookies 'n cream ice cream. #yummy

It seemed like a good idea. Skip out on the morning sessions of USCA and visit The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

So I did and made a few stops along the way. By the time I got there, I really only had about 1.5 hours and I'm sort of glad I was a time limit. The museum is overwhelming and heartbreaking. It makes you wonder how the Nazis were able to bamboozle everyone.

I learned some new things and had my memory refreshed on other things. I was doing OK until I got to the area that was about the concentration camps. The stories made me sick. What really turned my stomach was the exhibit of shoes and hair that was shaved from the people in the camps.

If you ever have the chance to visit the museum, please do so. And be prepared.

The views expressed on this blog are my thoughts and opinions and are not associated with any agency, association or corporation. I do reserve the right to delete or edit comments made by visitors. Some of the photos are taken by me. However, some of the photos that you see have been found on other websites. When it is possible I will give give credit for those photos. Some information found on this blog is from other sources and they will be acknowledged.